mn_technology:ptech191533015Personal Technology200771Wed, 21 Feb 2018 20:21:21 PSTTue, 4 Mar 2008 13:13:02 PSTFri, 27 Sep 2013 15:54:21 PDT150GenericBusiness/business/npc-news.mercurynews.com4746980The Mercury News568http://www.mercurynews.comwww.mercurynews.comfeeds.mercurynews.com30317108SJM-MAGID-0804.xmltrue:biz:bizstaff:ptech:svcolumns:sv2020news:magid:whatsnew:bizbreaking:By Larry Magid<br/>For the Mercury NewsThu, 1 Sep 2016 09:33:22 PDTThu, 1 Sep 2016 09:33:24 PDTTue, 1 Sep 2026 09:48:16 PDTThu, 1 Sep 2016 09:33:24 PDTTue, 6 Sep 2016 06:28:24 PDTTue, 6 Sep 2016 06:27:15 PDT3113falseBy Larry Magid For the Mercury News2016-09-01T09:33:22-07:0020160906T062824-07002016-09-01T09:34:28-07:0020160906T062715-07002016090109/01/20162026-09-01T09:48:16-07:001211YTalk like Dick Tracy on Samsung's new smartwatchesBoth models have built-in GPS, four gigabytes of storage (for music and other media) and are said to be water- and dust-resistant.Both models have built-in GPS, four gigabytes of storage (for music and other media) and are said to be water- and dust-resistant.<p>BERLIN -- As it did last year, Samsung announced its latest smartwatch at the giant IFA trade show in Berlin and, while they weren't yet ready to loan me a review unit to fully test, I was able to wear and fiddle with both new S3 models -- the "Classic" and the more fully featured "Frontier." </p><p>The first thing I noticed about these watches is that they're big and quite nice looking. Samsung invested in finer materials than previous versions of its watches along with a more classic design. The company proudly touted its relationship with Swiss watch designer Yvan Arpa, who helped on the project.</p><p>The S3 is designed to sync with an Android phone, which doesn't necessarily have to be from Samsung. There are reports that Samsung may be working on a way to also sync its watches with iPhones, but a Samsung spokesman would only confirm that "we continually evaluate ways to broaden the availability of our wearable devices to more consumers." </p><p>The two S3 models are quite similar. The Frontier is slightly heavier and a bit more rugged looking than the Classic but the big difference is that some versions of the Frontier will come equipped with an optional LTE cellular connection enabling it to stream music and make phone calls even if you don't have your phone with you.</p><p>Both models can connect to a smartphone and be used as a wristwatch phone reminiscent of the "2-way wrist radio" that comic strip detective Dick Tracy wore back in 1946.</p><p>Both models have built-in GPS, four gigabytes of storage (for music and other media) and are said to be water and dust resistant. Samsung claims about three days battery life, which is a day longer than last year's S2 model.</p><p>The watches support Samsung Pay, making it possible to make a credit or debit card transaction from most merchants without having to take either a phone or a credit card out of your pocket.</p><p>As I mentioned, these are big watches. Both models are 46 mm (1.8 inches) in diameter. Large watches are fashionable but there are plenty of people who would find this watch too big. I suspect that it won't be popular with women who typically wear smaller watches.</p><p>That older Samsung Gear S2 ($249 on Amazon) will remain on the market. I like the S2, as far as smartwatches go, but I have to admit that I rarely wear it, mostly because I often forget to charge it. </p><p>Another problem I have with most smartwatches whose screen lights up is that they are hard to read in bright sunlight. The S3 seems to have a brighter display which will help but I suspect that it too can be washed out by direct sunlight. </p><p>When I wear a smartwatch, I do pay attention to the notifications if I get a call or a text but I don't really miss them that much when I'm not wearing the watch. I like the fact that Samsung (and many other) smartwatches can measure my heart rate but -- again -- it's not something I fixate on most days. And of course it's great to know how far you've walked but you can also get that information directly from an Android's Fit app or iPhone's Health app, even if you're not wearing a smartwatch.</p><p>While Samsung consulted a Swiss watch designer for help with its decidedly electronic device, Fullpower Technologies, a Santa Cruz company headed by technology veteran Philippe Kahn (best known as the inventor of the camera phone) took a different approach. Its MotionX technology brings smart phone capabilities to actual Swiss watches.</p><p> I'm wearing a borrowed Alpina watch that looks pretty much like the watches this Swiss company has been making since 1883. It's a beautiful time piece, which helps explain its hefty ($600 or more) price but what isn't obvious is that the watch tracks steps and sleep, displays the time in two time zones and can wake you up, not just at an exact time but at the optimal time before your alarm setting, based on your sleep cycle.</p><p>All of these functions are controlled by the MotionX app that runs on Android and iPhones. The app also makes sure that the watch is synced with the exact time and allows you to review your steps, calories and sleep data from your phone.</p><p>I suppose it's a combination of jet lag and a busy trade show schedule but last night I got less than six hours of sleep. Two hours were deep sleep, three and a half hours were light sleep and I woke up six times. The good news is that I walked more than 11,000 steps yesterday at the show and around Berlin. </p><p>This watch won't show me who's calling or texting and it doesn't measure my heart rate but it does run two years on a replaceable battery, which means that I don't have to worry about charging it, which is especially important if you're using the watch to track your sleep, which is when you would typically charge it. But even if I weren't sleeping with it, I probably would forget to charge it, which is precisely why I'm not wearing the Samsung S2 or any other smartwatch that requires almost daily recharging.</p><p>Withings, a French company, was at IFA with its new Steel HR smartwatch that has both analog hands and a digital display to show your continuous heart rate, steps, sleep cycles and notifications. The company claims 25 days battery life on a charge. It's likely to cost about $200 when it ships later this year.</p><p> Samsung, MotionX and Withings are taking smart but different approaches to smartwatches, but that doesn't necessarily mean that a smartwatch is a smart purchase for the technologically timid or budget-minded consumer. This product category is young and needs time to mature. And that time will be measured in months and years by a calendar -- not in minutes and hours by a watch, smart or otherwise.</p><p> Contact Larry Magid at <a href="mailto:larry@larrymagid.com" >larry@larrymagid.com</a>. Listen for his technology chats on KCBS (AM 740 and FM 106.9) weekdays at 3:50 p.m.</p><a href="mailto:larry@larrymagid.com">larry@larrymagid.com</a>/larry-magidtalk-like-dick-tracy-samsungs-new-smartwatchestrue568Talk like Dick Tracy on Samsung's new smartwatches12http://www.mercurynews.com/larry-magid/ci_30317108/talk-like-dick-tracy-samsungs-new-smartwatchesBusinessTechnology30323142SJM-AGDRONES-0903.xmltrue:whatsnew::biz:ptech:Associated PressFri, 2 Sep 2016 19:40:27 PDTFri, 2 Sep 2016 19:40:28 PDTWed, 2 Sep 2026 19:40:24 PDTFri, 2 Sep 2016 19:40:29 PDTFri, 2 Sep 2016 19:42:27 PDTFri, 2 Sep 2016 19:40:29 PDT3114falseAssociated Press2016-09-02T19:40:27-07:0020160902T194227-07002016-09-02T19:42:27-07:0020160902T194029-07002016090209/02/20162026-09-02T19:40:24-07:0032YFARMERS&apos; EYE IN THE SKYEasing of federal regulations on drones that are used to scan land for irrigation leaks could help save a drought-stricken industryEasing of federal regulations on drones that are used to scan land for irrigation leaks could help save a drought-stricken industry<p>LOS BANOS -- A drone whirred to life in a cloud of dust, then shot hundreds of feet skyward for a bird's-eye view of a vast tomato field in California's Central Valley, the nation's most productive farming region.</p><p>Equipped with a state-of-the-art thermal camera, the drone crisscrossed the field, scanning it for cool, soggy patches where a gopher may have chewed through the buried drip irrigation line and caused a leak.</p><p>In the drought-prone West, where every drop of water counts, California farmers are in a constant search for ways to efficiently use the increasingly scarce resource. Cannon Michael is putting drone technology to work on his fields at Bowles Farming near Los Banos, 120 miles southeast of San Francisco.</p><p>About 2,100 companies and individuals have federal permission to fly drones for farming, according to the drone industry's Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. Federal regulators planned to relax the rules Monday on commercial drones, a move that could spur even greater use of such aircraft on farms.</p><p>Michael is descended from Henry Miller, a renowned cattle rancher, farmer and Western landowner who helped transform semi-arid central California into fertile farmland 150 years ago by building irrigation canals, some still flowing today.</p><p>Six generations later, Michael farms a 17-square-mile portion of that same land, growing melons, carrots, onions, cotton and almonds, while carrying on in the same pioneering spirit as Miller.</p><p>"I've always been a big fan of technology," said Michael, 44, mindful of how climate change is making water more precious. "I think it's really the only way we're going to stay in business."</p><p>On his 2,400-acre tomato crop alone, Michael estimates that this year his leak-detecting drones could save enough water to sustain more than 550 families of four for a year.</p><p>California endured the driest four-year period on record before a relatively wet and snowy winter this year overflowed some reservoirs in the northern part of the state. Southern California, however, remains dry, and the statewide drought has not ended.</p><p>Beyond California, drones are becoming fixtures on farms in places such as Canada, Australia, South Africa and Latin America as they become more affordable and easier to use, said Ian Smith of DroneDeploy, a San Francisco-based industry leader in drone software development.</p><p>A farmer can order a commercial-grade drone online for $2,000 and receive it in the mail days later, he said. Its video camera is then paired up with a smartphone or computer tablet that is used to control the drone.</p><p>"Hook it up to a smartphone -- boom. Take off, and you're in business," Smith said.</p><p>Many farmers, however, have yet to grasp the full potential beyond capturing video images of crops or using infrared cameras to spot color variations in the plants that can signal a problem.</p><p>Few have used technology and invested in it to the degree Michael has. </p><p>This year he began using the thermal camera, which can cost up to $10,000 and can show moisture variations in soil. </p><p>He also created a new management position at his company dedicated to overseeing drones.</p><p>Recently, Danny Royer, the new vice president of technology at Bowles, stood at the tailgate of his pickup studying live images transmitted to the screen of his tablet as a drone buzzed 300 feet overhead.</p><p>Rows of mature tomato plants appeared on the screen in glowing burnt orange, indicating warmer, drier areas, while dark patches of purple showed the cool moist soil hidden below the plants.</p><p>After taking the images back to his office to analyze them, he decided there were no leaks to repair, but the soil needed to be enriched in places to help the field grow evenly.</p><p>On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration eased the rules so that operators of commercial drones that weigh less than 55 pounds will no longer need to go through the long, expensive process of earning an airplane pilot's license.</p><p>Instead, they will have to take a written test -- but not an actual flying test at the controls of a plane -- and will be issued a drone license for $150.</p><p>The rule change and emerging technology could make drones more attractive tools for farmers, said Brandon Stark, director of the University of California's Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Safety, based at the Merced campus.</p><p>However, he said that until federal regulators clarify parts of the new rules, commercial drones must continue to fly below 400 feet, limiting their use on very large fields.</p><p>Stark is seeking what he calls the Holy Grail of drone use in agriculture -- enabling them to directly diagnose what ails a tree, whether it's deficiencies in water or nutrients, or a pest -- without having to send a person into the field.</p><p>"We're just getting started," Stark said. "The research is really still in its infancy."</p><p>New rules for commercial drones <br></p><p>Rules apply to drones that weigh less than 55 pounds.<br></p><ul><li> Keep the drone within sight at all times.<br></li><li> Keep drones from flying over people not involved in their operation.<br></li><li> Limit drone operations to the hours from a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset.<br></li><li> Limit speed to no more than 100 mph.<br></li><li> Fly no higher than 400 feet.<br></li></ul>/businessfarmers-eye-skytrue568FARMERS&apos; EYE IN THE SKY3http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_30323142/farmers-eye-skyBusiness30320962SJM-TECHFILES-0904.xmltrue:biz:bizstaff:netflix:ptech:svcolumns:svwireless:sv2020news:wolverton:whatsnew:bizbreaking: :whatsnew:twolverton@mercurynews.comBy Troy Wolverton, twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.comFri, 2 Sep 2016 07:14:27 PDTFri, 2 Sep 2016 07:14:29 PDTWed, 2 Sep 2026 17:52:16 PDTFri, 2 Sep 2016 07:14:29 PDTFri, 2 Sep 2016 17:54:09 PDTFri, 2 Sep 2016 17:52:21 PDT3114falseBy Troy Wolverton&#44; twolverton&#64;bayareanewsgroup&#46;com2016-09-02T07:14:27-07:0020160902T175409-07002016-09-02T07:16:11-07:0020160902T175221-07002016090209/02/20162026-09-02T17:52:16-07:0098YCutting the cord gets easier with Sling TV, DirecTV Now, other alternatives to cableOnline pay TV alternatives are becoming more tempting as services like Sling TV improve and new services like DirecTV Now prepare to launch.Online pay TV alternatives are becoming more tempting as services like Sling TV improve and new services like DirecTV Now prepare to launch.<p>As tired as I am of paying my pay TV bill, I haven't yet been convinced to cut the cord. </p><p>Until recently, the online alternatives to traditional cable and satellite TV packages didn't measure up. They didn't offer access to the same broad assortment of programming. And even as many cable channels started offering their programs through apps, they often required users to have a cable or satellite subscription to watch them.</p><p>But that situation is changing. You can already choose from at least three different services that offer a cablelike assortment of channels that are streamed over the internet.</p><p>While those offerings aren't perfect, they are improving, and more such services are on the way. Indeed, with the online alternatives becoming more attractive, it may not be too long before I ditch my traditional set-top box.</p><p>Perhaps the company making the biggest splash with a streaming multichannel video service is Dish, which launched its Sling TV offering last year. When I first tested it, I liked Sling's potential.</p><p>With Sling, Dish was trying to make pay TV more like Netflix -- inexpensive and easy. At $20 a month, it was a relative bargain compared with the typical cable TV package. Because users tuned in with a digital media player like Roku's boxes, they didn't have to pay costly monthly fees to rent a set-top box.</p><p>Rather than overwhelming customers with hundreds of channels they'd never watch, Dish promised a more tailored offering of top networks. And like Netflix, it allowed customers to drop out painlessly; instead of having to sign up for a long-term contract, they paid month to month and could cancel at any time.</p><p>But Sling's offering was hobbled by offering users too little. At launch, it came with only a dozen channels in the basic package. And users could watch only one stream at a time; a husband and wife couldn't watch two different programs through Sling simultaneously unless they each had their own account.</p><p>Over the past 18 months, Dish has been quietly improving Sling. The basic package -- which is still $20 a month -- now includes 28 channels, including most of the top networks. For $25 a month, you can stream up to three devices at once and get 44 channels, although you do lose access to ESPN and the Disney Channel. You can also now get up to 100 channels through the service by tacking on collections of channels that Sling bundles together in $5 bunches.</p><p>In short, Sling is looking more and more like a real rival to a traditional pay TV service -- albeit one that's delivered on terms that are much friendlier to consumers.</p><p>What's promising about this emerging era of internet-delivered pay TV is Sling TV isn't your only choice. Instead, you're likely to be able to choose from numerous alternatives that offer you similarly friendly terms -- lower prices, no costly equipment to rent, the ability to tune in programming on smartphones and tablets as well as televisions, and no long-term contracts.</p><p>Already, you can also choose from Sony's PlayStation Vue service, which, like Sling TV, has been getting better since the company launched it last year. Sony recently added the NFL Network to the service and this summer made it available on Roku digital players and Android smartphones and tablets.</p><p>Some Comcast subscribers have another choice -- that company's $15 a month Stream TV. That service, targeted at the company's broadband customers, allows them to watch live, on-demand and recorded programs on smartphones and tablets. Right now, though, it's offered in only a handful of states, not including California, and users can watch only some of their programs on their televisions or away from home.</p><p>You can expect to have more options soon. AT&T plans to launch DirecTV Now, a multichannel pay TV service delivered over the internet rather than via a satellite dish, later this year. Hulu has said that it plans to launch a cable TV-like streaming video service next year. Meanwhile, Comcast is reportedly considering opening up Stream TV to a much wider audience of potential customers -- including those who aren't subscribers to its broadband service.</p><p>And more companies may join the fray. After years of nonstop growth, the number of households signed up for some form of pay TV fell in 2013 for the first time ever. The industry has now experienced three straight years of declines and the results from the first half of 2016 look like it will be another down year. Thanks to those declines and the growth in the overall population, more than a fifth of all American households have now either canceled their pay TV service or never signed up for one.</p><p>That dynamic is making the TV industry as a whole nervous -- and much more receptive to online alternatives.</p><p>When Dish was putting Sling TV together two years ago, many of the cable programmers didn't want to admit that cord cutting was a real phenomenon, Sling CEO Roger Lynch told me recently. And many were wary about how online alternatives like Sling might affect the pay TV industry.</p><p>But those attitudes have shifted as Sling has added subscribers while the rest of the industry, including parent company Dish, has shed them.</p><p>"They realize this is the future," he said.</p><p>Contact Troy Wolverton at 408-840-4285 or <a href="mailto:twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com" >twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com</a>. Follow him at <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton" >www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton</a> or <a href="http://Twitter.com/troywolv" >Twitter.com/troywolv</a>.</p><a href="mailto:twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com">twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com</a><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton">www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton</a><a href="http://Twitter.com/troywolv">Twitter.com/troywolv</a>

Jae C&#46; Hong
49313479http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0902/20160902__slingtv~1.JPG6454302943549313482http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0902/20160902__slingtv~1_100.JPG10067700949313483http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0902/20160902__slingtv~1_200.JPG200133896249313484http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0902/20160902__slingtv~1_300.JPG3002001134249313485http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0902/20160902__slingtv~1_400.JPG4002671420449313486http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0902/20160902__slingtv~1_500.JPG500333173321/businesscutting-cord-gets-easier-sling-tv-directv-nowtrue568Cutting the cord gets easier with Sling TV, DirecTV Now, other alternatives to cable9http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_30320962/cutting-cord-gets-easier-sling-tv-directv-nowBusinessheader30320970imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0902/20160902__slingtv~1.JPG
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
Roger Lynch, far right, CEO of Sling TV, demonstrates on Sling TV, a live
television streaming service, at the Dish Network's news conference at the
International CES, Monday, Jan. 5, 2015, in Las Vegas.
Jae C. Hong
30298033SJM-SECEXPERTS-0828.xmltrue:biz:bizstaff:ptech:svcolumns:svsecurity:sv2020news:wolverton:twolverton@mercurynews.comBy Troy Wolverton, twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.comSat, 27 Aug 2016 09:39:46 PDTSat, 27 Aug 2016 10:00:00 PDTSat, 29 Aug 2026 12:17:05 PDTSat, 27 Aug 2016 10:00:00 PDTSat, 27 Aug 2016 10:00:00 PDTMon, 29 Aug 2016 12:18:20 PDTMon, 29 Aug 2016 12:17:12 PDT3110falseBy Troy Wolverton&#44; twolverton&#64;bayareanewsgroup&#46;com2016-08-27T09:39:46-07:0020160829T121820-07002016-08-27T09:40:16-07:0020160829T121712-07002016082708/27/20162026-08-29T12:17:05-07:003029YProtecting personal data: Real-world tips from security gurusSecurity experts know better than most the limits of the standard advice, and feel free to go beyond -- and sometimes ignore -- the rules as they see fit.Security experts know better than most the limits of the standard advice, and feel free to go beyond -- and sometimes ignore -- the rules as they see fit.<p>Marcin Kleczynski, CEO of a company devoted to protecting people from hackers, has safeguarded his Twitter account with a 14-character password and by turning on two-factor authentication, an extra precaution in case that password is cracked.</p><p>But Cooper Quintin, a security researcher and chief technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, doesn't bother running an anti-virus program on his computer.</p><p>And Bruce Schneier? The prominent cryptography expert and chief technology officer of IBM-owned security company Resilient Systems, won't even risk talking about what he does to secure his devices and data.</p><p>"The stuff I do, I consider my business," Schneier said. "I'm kind of a target."</p><p>With nearly daily reports of cyber attacks, identity thefts and security breaches -- even the NSA's most sensitive secrets have been compromised -- it seems all our financial, health and personal data is at risk from online villains. So we decided to ask the people who really know what they are doing -- computer security experts -- how they stay safe in their own lives. </p><p>Some of the answers were surprising.</p><p>Many security gurus take extra precautions to safeguard their data, accounts or devices. But many also feel free to flaunt the rules, at least in particular cases.</p><p>Take Quintin. Part of his job is to offer advice to activists and the public about how to protect themselves online.</p><p>Although much of Quintin's advice echoes that of other gurus -- keeping operating systems and software up-to-date and being careful with passwords -- he diverges from the pack when it comes to anti-virus software. It's not a big part of his recommendations, and he avoids the software in his own life.</p><p>Part of the reason is his computer runs Linux, which is targeted by far fewer pieces of malware than Windows computers. Indeed, if Quintin were using a Windows machine, he said he'd probably run an anti-malware program.</p><p>But he's also philosophically opposed to anti-malware software, because he thinks it gets people to lower their guard about the security threats they face.</p><p>"I don't like to get complacent and rely on it in any way," Quintin said. "I like to keep my common sense sharp."</p><p>Quintin's not the only security expert who sometimes ignores the rules. You know the advice from gurus about always using strong passwords and a different one for every site? Avivah Litan, a security researcher at Gartner, often ignores it.</p><p>She admits she doesn't come up with overly complicated passwords. She doesn't change them very frequently. And while she makes sure to use strong and unique passwords to protect financial and other sensitive data, she reuses relatively simple passwords on other sites -- typically on ones which would have little consequence if they were compromised, like a travel loyalty card service.</p><p>"I don't go crazy over this stuff," said Litan. "The cost of having a complicated password is greater than having my points stolen."</p><p>Eugene Spafford, likewise, spurns one of the key rules, but for good reason.</p><p>The Purdue computer science professor, who focuses on cyber security, has a computer whose operating system and software he generally doesn't bother to update, even though he sometimes uses it to access sensitive files. That's because the computer isn't connected to the internet, which is generally the source of most malware.</p><p>"I don't have it on a network, so I don't have to worry about it," Spafford said.</p><p>To be sure, Spafford and other gurus often take extra care with their devices and data, going above and beyond the typical security advice.</p><p>Quintin, for example, regularly encrypts his email to protect it from being read by people who might intercept it. But he doesn't recommend that average users scramble their email, because he thinks the encryption software is just too difficult to use.</p><p>Kleczynski, the CEO of security company Malwarebytes, mostly follows the standard security advice. But he goes all out to protect his Twitter account, because he worries about the message it would send if a hacker was able to compromise it.</p><p>"It would be extremely embarrassing," he said.</p><p>Whenever he's accessing the internet over a public hotspot, John Dickson, a principal at security consulting firm the Denim Group, will connect to a virtual private network through his office to safeguard his traffic. He also enjoys making up complicated passwords that you can't find in a dictionary.</p><p>When he does it on devices at home, it "drives my wife crazy," he said.</p><p>Spafford too takes a lot of extra steps to protect himself and his data. In addition to using an unconnected computer for sensitive files, he sometimes accesses files on a virtual machine he creates on one of his computers. When he is done, he deletes the machine. He also has a firewall device in his home to protect his network from hackers. And he's developed some tools in his research center that he uses to try to detect security problems.</p><p>But, like Resilient's Schneier, he's reluctant to discuss the particulars of many of the steps he takes.</p><p>"There are some additional things I do," Spafford added. "I'm not going to give details of all of them, because that doesn't help me."</p><p>Contact Troy Wolverton at 408-840-4285 or <a href="mailto:twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com" >twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com</a>. Follow him at <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton" >www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton</a> or <a href="http://Twitter.com/troywolv" >Twitter.com/troywolv</a>.</p><a href="mailto:twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com">twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com</a><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton">www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton</a><a href="http://Twitter.com/troywolv">Twitter.com/troywolv</a>8 simple steps to secure your devices and datahttp://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton/ci_30298035/simple-steps-secure-your-devices-and-data30298035

Courtesy of Malwarebytes49240973http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-2~1.JPG6454265116649240976http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-2~1_100.JPG100661411449240977http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-2~1_200.JPG2001321730449240978http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-2~1_300.JPG3001982125649240979http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-2~1_400.JPG4002642573049240980http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-2~1_500.JPG500330311135/troy-wolvertonwhen-it-comes-protecting-personal-data-security-gurustrue568Protecting personal data: Real-world tips from security gurus30http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton/ci_30298033/when-it-comes-protecting-personal-data-security-gurusBusinessTechnologyConsumer-electronicsposition230297948imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-3~1.JPGAvivah Litan, security analyst at Gartner, a technology research firm.
position330297947imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-2~1.JPGMarcin Kleczynski, CEO of security software company Malwarebytes. Courtesy of Malwarebytesposition430297951imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-6~1.JPGBruce Schneier, chief technology officer of IBM's Resilient Systems, a
cyber security firm.
Courtesy of Martha Stewartposition530297954imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-7~1.JPGJohn Dickson, principal at Denim Group, a computer security consulting
firm.
Courtesy of Denim Groupposition430297950imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-5~1.JPGEugene Spafford, computer science professor and executive director emeritus for the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and
Security (CERIAS) at Purdue University.
Courtesy of Purdue University30303529http://www.siliconbeat.com/?ptrueblogsiliconbeat http://www.siliconbeat.com/?p=112431 p_6b70ed2e-271e-4d76-ab5e-f490596d043e.xml<i></i>Mon, 29 Aug 2016 10:37:18 PDTMon, 29 Aug 2016 11:28:23 PDTSat, 29 Aug 2026 10:37:16 PDTMon, 29 Aug 2016 10:37:16 PDTMon, 29 Aug 2016 11:28:23 PDTMon, 29 Aug 2016 11:30:21 PDTMon, 29 Aug 2016 11:29:22 PDT3110false2016-08-29T10:37:18-07:0020160829T113021-07002016-08-29T10:38:23-07:0020160829T112922-07002016082908/29/20162026-08-29T10:37:16-07:0065YFacebook's Trending section featured fake news about Fox News' Megyn KellyFacebook's Trending section is trending again.Friday, Facebook said it would rely less on human editors for its Trending news section &mdash; which made headlines earlier this year after being accused of suppressing items from conservative news sources &mdash; and more on algorithms.Facebook's Trending section is trending again.Friday, Facebook said it would rely less on human editors for its Trending news section &mdash; which made headlines earlier this year after being accused of suppressing items from conservative news sources &mdash; and more on algorithms.<p>Facebook's Trending section is trending again.</p><p>Friday, Facebook said it would <a href="http://www.siliconbeat.com/2016/08/26/facebook-tweaks-trending-news-section-rely-less-human-curators/" target="_blank" >rely less on human editors</a> for its Trending news section — which made headlines earlier this year after being accused of suppressing items from conservative news sources — and more on algorithms.</p><p>But if the algorithms were in charge Sunday, they didn't do a very good job. One of the Trending topics was "Megyn Kelly," which when clicked led to a news item from End the Fed, an aggregator of conservative news. The <a href="http://endingthefed.com/breaking-fox-news-exposes-traitor-megyn-kelly-kicks-her-out-for-backing-hillary.html" target="_blank" >report</a> said Kelly, a popular news anchor, has been fired from right-wing Fox News for backing Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. No such news has been reported elsewhere, at least not yet.</p><p>The topic was still in the Trending section early Monday morning, but has since been removed.</p><p>When reached by SiliconBeat, a Facebook spokeswoman said the company had no comment.</p><p>Facebook's Trending section is now showing just the topics themselves, without the descriptions that human editors used to write. Last week, <a href="http://qz.com/768122/facebook-fires-human-editors-moves-to-algorithm-for-trending-topics/" target="_blank" >Quartz</a> reported that some editors, who were contractors, were fired by Facebook.</p><p>The accusations of political bias in choosing topics for the Trending section came from an anonymous former contractor who talked to Gizmodo earlier this year.</p><p>While Facebook said it found no evidence of the charges, CEO Mark Zuckerberg <a href="http://www.siliconbeat.com/2016/05/19/facebooks-mark-zuckerberg-not-good-business-suppress-conservative-news/" target="_blank" >held a meeting</a> with conservatives in May to address the accusations of political bias and try to put out the fire.</p><p>As of about 10 a.m. Pacific time, the trending topics on Facebook included Zombieland, McChicken and two items involving politics: Anthony Weiner and #AmnestyDon.</p><p><em>Photo from Associated Press</em></p><p>The post <a href="http://www.siliconbeat.com/2016/08/29/facebooks-trending-section-featured-fake-news-fox-news-megyn-kelly/" >Facebook's Trending section featured fake news about Fox News' Megyn Kelly</a> appeared first on <a href="http://www.siliconbeat.com" >SiliconBeat</a>.</p><a href="http://www.siliconbeat.com/2016/08/26/facebook-tweaks-trending-news-section-rely-less-human-curators/" target="_blank">rely less on human editors</a><a href="http://endingthefed.com/breaking-fox-news-exposes-traitor-megyn-kelly-kicks-her-out-for-backing-hillary.html" target="_blank">report</a><a href="http://qz.com/768122/facebook-fires-human-editors-moves-to-algorithm-for-trending-topics/" target="_blank">Quartz</a><a href="http://www.siliconbeat.com/2016/05/19/facebooks-mark-zuckerberg-not-good-business-suppress-conservative-news/" target="_blank">held a meeting</a><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.siliconbeat.com/2016/08/29/facebooks-trending-section-featured-fake-news-fox-news-megyn-kelly/">Facebook's Trending section featured fake news about Fox News' Megyn Kelly</a><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.siliconbeat.com">SiliconBeat</a>

49259420http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0829/20160829__p_6b70ed2e-271e-4d76-ab5e-f490596d043e~l~soriginal~ph.jpg4803152374349259423http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0829/20160829__p_6b70ed2e-271e-4d76-ab5e-f490596d043e~l~soriginal~ph_100.jpg10066203149259424http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0829/20160829__p_6b70ed2e-271e-4d76-ab5e-f490596d043e~l~soriginal~ph_200.jpg200131476649259425http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0829/20160829__p_6b70ed2e-271e-4d76-ab5e-f490596d043e~l~soriginal~ph_300.jpg300197834749259426http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0829/20160829__p_6b70ed2e-271e-4d76-ab5e-f490596d043e~l~soriginal~ph_400.jpg400263122871/businessfacebook-s-trending-section-featured-fake-news-abouttrue568Facebook's Trending section featured fake news about Fox News' Megyn Kelly6http://www.siliconbeat.com/2016/08/29/facebooks-trending-section-featured-fake-news-fox-news-megyn-kelly/Businessheader30303530imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0829/20160829__p_6b70ed2e-271e-4d76-ab5e-f490596d043e~l~soriginal~ph.jpg30298035SJM-TECHFILES-0828.xmltrue:biz:bizstaff:ptech:svcolumns:svsecurity:sv2020news:wolverton:whatsnew:bizbreaking: :whatsnew:locbreak:twolverton@mercurynews.comBy Troy Wolverton, twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.comSat, 27 Aug 2016 09:42:06 PDTSat, 27 Aug 2016 10:00:00 PDTThu, 27 Aug 2026 09:42:04 PDTSat, 27 Aug 2016 10:00:00 PDTSat, 27 Aug 2016 10:00:00 PDTMon, 29 Aug 2016 08:08:20 PDTMon, 29 Aug 2016 08:06:25 PDT3108falseBy Troy Wolverton&#44; twolverton&#64;bayareanewsgroup&#46;com2016-08-27T09:42:06-07:0020160829T080820-07002016-08-27T09:42:17-07:0020160829T080625-07002016082708/27/20162026-08-27T09:42:04-07:001817Y8 simple steps to secure your devices and dataSecurity threats abound, but you can better protect your devices and data by using security patches, anti-malware software, common sense and more to create a layered defense.Security threats abound, but you can better protect your devices and data by using security patches, anti-malware software, common sense and more to create a layered defense.<p>It's not easy protecting your devices and data these days.</p><p>Ransomware, email scams, identity theft, hacking attacks, massive data breaches -- the news is filled with stories of the security threats consumers, businesses and governments face. When even the National Security Agency can't keep its crucial information secure, you may rightly wonder what an average person can do.</p><p>It's definitely a challenge. The threats are evolving, becoming increasingly sophisticated and costly and affecting more people. What's considered to be the best advice can soon become obsolete as criminals develop new methods or the security researchers better understand the weaknesses in older strategies. And the more data we put online, the more devices we connect and the more things we do on the internet, the more we have at risk. </p><p>"I don't envy the average consumer who has to stay on top of these things," said Marcin Kleczynski, CEO of Santa Clara-based Malwarebytes, which makes anti-malware software.</p><p>But as difficult as it may be, it's important to try to protect yourself. Consumers and businesses have been bilked out of billions of dollars and lost access to valuable files and data thanks to malware and online scams. </p><p>And as daunting as it may seem, there are some relatively simple steps you can take to make your devices and data more secure. The top advice from security experts: Don't expect any one step to completely protect you. Instead, think of the steps as lines of defense.</p><p>Here are some of the measures security experts recommend:</p><ul><li> Assess your risk. Someone working in the political opposition in Egypt is going to have a different level of risk than the average American. Someone who spends much of her life online is going to have more at risk than someone who goes online only occasionally to check his email. The more at risk you are or the more sensitive your data, the more steps you'll likely have to take to protect yourself.</li><li> Backup your data. This is perhaps the most critical step you can take, because it helps ensure not only against security threats but also hardware failures. A malware infection becomes much more tolerable if you can just wipe out your computer and reinstall everything from a backup.<p>It's smart to backup regularly, so that you can restore the latest changes you've made to your device or the latest data you've added. But it's also important to ensure that the hard drive or service you use to backup your computer isn't always connected to it. The latest versions of ransomware, a type of malware that encrypts data and extorts users for money to unscramble it, can jump from a PC to attached drives, potentially affecting backups as well.</p><p>You can avoid such problems by disconnecting your hard drive after it backs up your computer; burning your data to DVDs; or using an online backup service like Carbonite that only connects to your computer periodically and keeps multiple versions of your data.</p></li><li> Keep your software up to date. Much of the malware in circulation exploits security holes in operating systems, browsers and plug-in programs like Adobe's Flash. It's important to install security updates to those software programs because they close those holes. And it's a good idea to install those updates right away or set your computer to automatically install them when they are released, because the release draws attention to vulnerabilities in the unpatched software, potentially leading to more malware designed to exploit them.<p>Just by keeping your software up to date, "you will be far less vulnerable to attacks," said Cooper Quintin, staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights advocacy group.</p></li><li> Run anti-malware software and keep it updated. Anti-malware software is far from perfect. Research indicates that most programs do a pretty good job at catching viruses that have been in circulation for a while -- and a pretty lousy job at identifying and eliminating novel threats. But anti-malware is usually better than nothing -- as long as you don't rely on it as your sole means of defense.</li><li> Be careful with your passwords. Doubtless, you've heard lots of advice on using better, more secure passwords. And undoubtedly, you've probably ignored that advice, at least on occasion. It's a good idea to heed it, at least when trying to protect things like your financial accounts or sensitive data. The more powerful computers become and the more sophisticated hackers get, the easier it is for them to crack simple passwords. <p>Some of the key advice from security analysts: Generally, the longer the password and the more random the characters used, the better. And don't reuse passwords, at least not with the accounts that house your most valuable information. If that password is compromised, it puts multiple accounts at risk. </p><p>Of course, following such advice can make it difficult or impossible to remember passwords. One thing that can help is a password manager. Programs like LastPass and 1Password can store all your complicated passwords, help you create new ones and allow you to access your list on different devices.</p></li><li> Be careful with social media. What you say on Facebook doesn't necessarily stay on Facebook. Scammers can use information they glean about you from your social media posts to impersonate you to scam money from your friends and relatives or your company. They can also use that information to crack your passwords or the security questions that many companies use to authenticate users who want to reset their passwords. <p>That doesn't mean you should close your Facebook and Twitter accounts. But it does mean you should think about what you post and who has access to it.</p></li><li> Think before you click. One of the most common sources of malware is through email links and attachments. Scammers have gotten pretty good at sending out email the looks like it legitimately came from your bank, and hackers have frequently been able to use malware to hijack consumers' accounts to send out emails in their name to family members and friends. That's why it's a good idea to be skeptical of any link or attachment you receive, even if it appears to be from your spouse or most trusted associate. <p>Instead of clicking on a link that appears to come from your bank, go to the bank's website directly. Rather than open the attachment that appears to come from your friend, text or call the friend to make sure they actually sent it to you.</p></li><li> Be skeptical. You should develop a "suspicious mindset" when you're online, said Eugene Spafford, a professor of computer science at Purdue University who focuses on security issues. This extends beyond being skeptical of email links and attachments to being careful about clicking on advertisements you see or visiting websites.<p>Advertisements for free software or notifications that urge you to download anti-virus programs can be vehicles for malware. And the internet's pornography and gambling sites can be havens for malicious software. </p><p>"Moral issues aside, there are solid technical reasons why to not visit the seedier sites on the internet," said John Dickson, principal at the Denim Group, a security consulting firm.</p><p>Contact Troy Wolverton at 408-840-4285 or <a href="mailto:twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com" >twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com</a>. Follow him at <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton" >www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton</a> or <a href="http://Twitter.com/troywolv" >Twitter.com/troywolv</a>.</p><p>HOW TO KEEP YOUR INFORMATION SECURE<br></p><p>1. Assess your personal risk<br>2. Backup the information on your devices<br>3. Be sure to keep your software up to date <br>4. Run anti-malware software (and keep it updated)<br>5. Don't ignore advice on creating strong passwords<br>6. Watch what you share on social media<br>7. Think before you click<br>8. Be cautious online</p></li></ul><a href="mailto:twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com">twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com</a><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton">www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton</a><a href="http://Twitter.com/troywolv">Twitter.com/troywolv</a>Protecting personal data: Real-world tips from security gurushttp://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton/ci_30298033/when-it-comes-protecting-personal-data-security-gurus30298033

Marcin Kleczynski, CEO of security software company Malwarebytes.

Courtesy of Malwarebytes49240965http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-1~1.JPG6454304162049240968http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-1~1_100.JPG100671222049240969http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-1~1_200.JPG2001331392049240970http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-1~1_300.JPG3002001646649240971http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-1~1_400.JPG4002671999749240972http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-1~1_500.JPG500333240471/troy-wolvertonsimple-steps-secure-your-devices-and-datatrue5688 simple steps to secure your devices and data18http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton/ci_30298035/simple-steps-secure-your-devices-and-dataBusinessTechnologyConsumer-electronicsheader30297946imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-secexperts-0827-1~1.JPGMarcin Kleczynski, CEO of security software company Malwarebytes. Courtesy of Malwarebytes30289695SJM-MAGID-0828.xmltrue:biz:bizstaff:ptech:svcolumns:sv2020news:magid:whatsnew:bizbreaking:By Larry MagidFor the Mercury NewsThu, 25 Aug 2016 08:41:10 PDTThu, 25 Aug 2016 08:41:12 PDTWed, 26 Aug 2026 19:26:11 PDTThu, 25 Aug 2016 08:41:12 PDTSat, 27 Aug 2016 08:24:18 PDTSat, 27 Aug 2016 08:23:40 PDT3107falseBy Larry MagidFor the Mercury News2016-08-25T08:41:10-07:0020160827T082418-07002016-08-25T08:42:32-07:0020160827T082340-07002016082508/25/20162026-08-26T19:26:11-07:001514YTech products for the back-to-school crowdJust about every student from upper elementary school grades through graduate school needs some type of computing deviceJust about every student from upper elementary school grades through graduate school needs some type of computing device<p>With school already in session or about to start, lots of people are shopping for new technology. Whether it's a young student looking for a phone or a tablet or an older one in need of a laptop, there are plenty of products to think about for the back-to-school crowd.</p><p>Just about every student from the upper elementary school grades through graduate school needs some type of computing device. For some, a tablet is sufficient, especially if you equip it with an external keyboard for writing papers. You could, of course, spend between $269 and $800 (plus the cost of a keyboard) for an Apple iPad, but you could also opt for an Android or Amazon Fire tablet for as little as $49. </p><p>Even if the student in your life is an iPhone or Mac user, you should still consider a less expensive tablet. In my experience, Android and Amazon tablets can be just as reliable and pleasant to us as iPads, and most (though admittedly not all) the iOS apps that work on iPads also have versions for Android.</p><p>While some students are perfectly comfortable typing on a tablet's glass keyboard, I recommend that you consider an external Bluetooth keyboard for maximum efficiency for writing papers. They're not expensive. Logitech, for example, makes a $30 keyboard that will work with computers, tablets and smartphones.</p><p>Tablets have their place, but there is something to be said for the versatility of a laptop, and it's now possible to get a pretty good one at a budget price, especially if you consider a Chromebook that runs Google's Chrome OS, instead of Windows or Macintosh OS X.</p><p>Acer, Asus and Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba and Samsung are among the companies that make Chromebooks for under $300 and in some cases under $200. The low-cost models aren't the fastest devices in the world and they have very limited storage, but -- since they're powered by Google -- you can bet they'll be adequate for accessing web-based applications including Google's own free word processing, spreadsheet and presentation apps.</p><p>And even though Chromebooks are designed primarily for use while connected to the internet, it is possible to use some of the apps, including Google docs and spreadsheets, while you're not connected. A portion of this column was written on a Chromebook while not connected to the internet.</p><p>Although there are plenty of Chrome apps, there are cases in which a Mac or a Windows machine is either handy or necessary. I love the MacBook Air, but the least expensive new one costs $899, though you might consider a used or refurbished one.</p><p>There are plenty of inexpensive Windows laptops, starting at under $200. HP offers a 2.75-pound, 11-inch Stream laptop starting at $179 that comes with high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity, a decent keyboard and screen, an HDMI port for an external monitor or TV set, and two USB ports for optional external hard drives and other peripherals.</p><p>The least expensive model comes with only a paltry 32 gigabytes of storage, but there will be a 64 GB "Pro" version. Either way, that's not a lot of storage, but you get a free terabyte of online storage for a year. To sweeten the deal, they throw in a one-year subscription to Microsoft Office 365 personal edition, which is worth $70. The Stream comes in kid-friendly colors: Violet Purple, Aqua Blue and Snowy White.</p><p>I'm not sure I'd recommend this for a high schooler, but a very low-cost laptop might be a good choice for middle school-aged students, especially if they have a tendency to lose or break things.</p><p>High school and college students may need a more powerful laptop with a sufficient amount of storage such as a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro or any good Windows 10 laptop like the Dell XPS 13, which starts at $799.</p><p>A lot of kids have smartphones these days and they're using them for an incredible range of tasks, including homework. I know teachers who incorporate smartphones (or tablets for kids who don't have one) in their assignments. Again, you have lots of choices ranging from low-cost Android phones to the latest high- end iPhone. If your kid really wants an iPhone and money matters, consider a reconditioned used one from places like Gazelle or look for a less expensive smaller or older model from your carrier or an Apple retailer, including places like Walmart and Costco.</p><p>Other useful back-to-school tech items include an external battery for phones and tablets like the $24 Anker PowerCore 1000, which lets you charge any USB phone or tablet, even if you're away from an electrical outlet.</p><p>External USB hard drives are also quite useful to back up your device or provide additional storage, and, of course, students will need a good backpack with plenty of padding and enough pockets for all their gadgets.</p><p>I don't typically recommend extended warranties, but when it comes to tech that can be easily lost or broken, it may make sense to get some type of insurance.</p><p>Squaretrade is one of several companies that offer insurance programs that cover accidental damage. I signed up for a plan for my MacBook Air after Apple refused to cover my old one after I spilled coffee on the keyboard. And when buying tech products, try to use a credit card that offers an extended warranty and loss or damage protection. Not all do, but some will cover your products for up to 120 days.</p><p>Contact Larry Magid at <a href="mailto:larry@larrymagid.com" >larry@larrymagid.com</a>. Listen for his technology chats on KCBS (AM 740 and FM 106.9) weekdays at 3:50 p.m.</p><a href="mailto:larry@larrymagid.com">larry@larrymagid.com</a>

Every student from the upper elementary school grades through graduate school needs some type of computing device.

Photo Illustration by Carl Court&#47;Getty Images49241045http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-magid-0827-1~1.JPG64543011858849241048http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-magid-0827-1~1_100.JPG100671635749241049http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-magid-0827-1~1_200.JPG2001332094149241050http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-magid-0827-1~1_300.JPG3002002734949241051http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-magid-0827-1~1_400.JPG4002673502249241052http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-magid-0827-1~1_500.JPG500333437381/larry-magidtech-products-back-school-crowdtrue568Tech products for the back-to-school crowd15http://www.mercurynews.com/larry-magid/ci_30289695/tech-products-back-school-crowdBusinessTechnologyposition230297963imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0827/20160827__sjm-magid-0827-1~1.JPGEvery student from the upper elementary school grades through graduate school needs some type of computing device.
Photo Illustration by Carl Court/Getty Images30291504SJM-TECHFILES-0826.xmltrue:biz:bizstaff:apple:microsoft:ptech:svcolumns:svsecurity:svwireless:sv2020news:wolverton:whatsnew:bizbreaking: :whatsnew:twolverton@mercurynews.comBy Troy Wolverton, twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.comThu, 25 Aug 2016 18:09:50 PDTThu, 25 Aug 2016 18:09:52 PDTTue, 25 Aug 2026 18:30:26 PDTThu, 25 Aug 2016 18:09:52 PDTFri, 26 Aug 2016 07:36:17 PDTFri, 26 Aug 2016 07:35:00 PDT3106falseBy Troy Wolverton&#44; twolverton&#64;bayareanewsgroup&#46;com2016-08-25T18:09:50-07:0020160826T073617-07002016-08-25T18:10:17-07:0020160826T073500-07002016082508/25/20162026-08-25T18:30:26-07:001817YApple devices now a juicy target for hackersApple's gadgets have a reputation for security, but they're not invulnerable and they're attracting hackers much more than before.Apple's gadgets have a reputation for security, but they're not invulnerable and they're attracting hackers much more than before.<p>Apple's devices have a well-deserved reputation for security.</p><p>But if it wasn't clear before, it should be now: They're not invulnerable. And, in fact, they've become a prime target for hackers.</p><p>That was loud and clear Thursday with the news that a major trio of vulnerabilities -- dubbed "Trident" by security researchers -- had been discovered in iOS, the operating system underlying the iPhone and iPad. Apple already has a patch out, but reports indicate that the vulnerability has been around potentially for years and has been exploited.</p><p>Before I go any further, if you have an iPhone or other iOS device and haven't yet installed the update Apple issued Thursday, do so right away. The security flaws it fixes are particularly dangerous and could allow a hacker to do some pretty scary stuff with your phone, such as viewing your text messages, listening in on your calls and reading your email -- all without your knowledge.</p><p>Using this kind of vulnerability, an attacker could "figure out how to spy on every corner of your phone," said Andrew Blaich, a staff researcher at Lookout, which helped identify and report the flaws.</p><p>"What we found is that's actually being done," he added. "It's very much being used for that sort of purpose."</p><p>The fact that Apple's devices can have such critical vulnerabilities is not news to the community of computer security experts. But it may be somewhat of a shock to the company's many fans.</p><p>In the 2000s, Apple helped to cultivate the notion that its devices were impervious to security problems. The company ran a series of ads contrasting the headaches Windows PC users faced due to the viruses and security problems plaguing those computers with the seemingly blissful experience the Mac's purportedly rock-hard security promised its users.</p><p>In more recent years, Apple has touted the security of its iOS devices and has been very public about the steps it's taken to better protect them, particularly during and in the wake of its dispute with the FBI over cracking the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters who killed 14 people in December.</p><p>The company's not just making empty boasts. Security experts generally give the company high marks for the efforts Apple's taken to secure its devices.</p><p>"Apple has some very strong claims they can make about being a secure platform," said Dan Cornell, chief technology officer of Denim Group, a computer security consulting firm. "When I look at my iPhone, I have a trust that a lot has been done to secure it."</p><p>And in some ways, the vulnerability revealed Thursday points to the efforts Apple has made. This wasn't some routine hack discovered or created by a teenager with time to kill. Instead, it was reportedly developed by a shadowy Israeli corporation backed by a San Francisco-based venture capital firm and used by the United Arab Emirates, which gives an indication of the sophistication of the exploit and the resources that went into developing or identifying it.</p><p>But the vulnerability also shows that for the effort Apple has made, its devices aren't invulnerable. And we shouldn't expect them to be.</p><p>As Cornell put it, "there is no such thing as perfect security."</p><p>It also emphasizes that hackers view Apple's devices much differently than they did when the company was running its Mac versus PC commercials. Then, users of Apple's devices really didn't have much to worry about. In part that was because of the security the company built into them. But an even bigger factor was that because relatively few people were using them, they weren't that attractive to hackers.</p><p>That situation has dramatically changed. According to Apple, there are now some 1 billion Apple devices in active use. And partly because Apple charges a premium for its products, the users of those devices tend to be more affluent and are more likely to be in positions of power or influence. </p><p>"Attackers are going to go where their targets are or their market share is," said Lookout's Blaich.</p><p>Apple is clearly aware of the increased scrutiny. Following past practices, the company is adding new layers of security into the next versions of iOS and the operating system underlying the Mac, building on what it's done before.</p><p>In response to the heightened threats, the company also appears to be rethinking its attitudes toward the larger security community. In the past, the company has been criticized for being something of a black box, for not engaging with the larger community of security researchers. It's also been taken to task for taking a long time to fix reported vulnerabilities and for not using a bug bounty program to encourage researchers to report security flaws. </p><p>But earlier this month, the company announced a "bug bounty" program. It did so in the context of a talk at the Black Hat conference that was reportedly one of its most open discussions to date of its security practices. And in the case of the Trident vulnerability, it fixed the bug and distributed a patch to users in a remarkable 10 days.</p><p>"Apple has started to take security much more seriously in recent years, especially this year," said Eva Galperin, global policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "The bug bounty is the best sign that they've turned over a new life."</p><p>Contact Troy Wolverton at 408-840-4285 or <a href="mailto:twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com" >twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com</a>. Follow him at <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton" >www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton</a> or <a href="http://Twitter.com/troywolv" >Twitter.com/troywolv</a>.</p><a href="mailto:twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com">twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com</a><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton">www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton</a><a href="http://Twitter.com/troywolv">Twitter.com/troywolv</a>/troy-wolvertonapple-devices-now-juicy-target-hackerstrue568Apple devices now a juicy target for hackers18http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton/ci_30291504/apple-devices-now-juicy-target-hackersBusinessTechnologyConsumer-electronics30286151SJM-TECHFILES-0825.xmltrue:biz:bizstaff:apple:markets:ptech:svcolumns:svwireless:sv2020news:wolverton:whatsnew:bizbreaking: :whatsnew:twolverton@mercurynews.comBy Troy Wolverton, twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.comWed, 24 Aug 2016 15:03:34 PDTWed, 24 Aug 2016 15:03:35 PDTMon, 24 Aug 2026 16:53:24 PDTWed, 24 Aug 2016 15:03:35 PDTThu, 25 Aug 2016 08:40:24 PDTThu, 25 Aug 2016 08:39:15 PDT3105falseBy Troy Wolverton&#44; twolverton&#64;bayareanewsgroup&#46;com2016-08-24T15:03:34-07:0020160825T084024-07002016-08-24T15:04:39-07:0020160825T083915-07002016082408/24/20162026-08-24T16:53:24-07:002120YTim Cook is no Steve Jobs: How that has changed AppleApple has seen huge success since Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs in 2011, but recent stumbles raise worries about its future.Apple has seen huge success since Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs in 2011, but recent stumbles raise worries about its future.<p>After five years, we know this: Tim Cook is no Steve Jobs.</p><p>In some ways, the fact that Cook, who took over as Apple's CEO five years ago, is his own man has been good for Apple and its various stakeholders. In other ways, maybe not so much.</p><p>But that simple fact that Cook is not Jobs has already had a significant influence on how Apple has evolved in the wake of the death of its iconic founder. And it's likely to have an even greater impact going forward as the echoes of Jobs' influence inevitably fade.</p><p>One thing that's clear about Cook's reign is that he didn't mess up what Jobs had built. In fact he took the profit engine that Apple had become in Jobs' second era and torqued it up to previously unimaginable levels.</p><p>Since Cook took over, Apple's stock price and its annual sales have more than doubled and its yearly profit has grown 84 percent. Apple's annual profit is larger than its yearly sales were up until the very last year of Jobs' tenure as CEO. And under Cook's leadership, Apple became the most valuable company in the world, joined the Dow Jones industrial average, and started paying a healthy cash dividend each quarter for the first time since the mid-1990s.</p><p>Cook took the iPhone, which was already Apple's most important product when Jobs stepped down due to health reasons, and turned it into a juggernaut. In the holiday quarter this past year alone, Apple sold 74 million iPhones, which was more than the company sold in all of its 2011 fiscal year, when Cook took the helm.</p><p>But Cook has been important to the company in more ways than its financial performance. Under his leadership, Apple has engaged with the community in ways it didn't under Jobs. The company instituted a matching program for employees' philanthropic donations and has made several sizable charitable contributions on its own. Cook, who came out as gay two years ago, has made an effort to stand up for gay rights and speak out against discriminatory legislation. And under Cook, Apple has taken the lead in pushing back against the government's surveillance efforts. </p><p>If Cook had retired a year or two ago, he probably would have gone down as one of the greatest chief executives ever. But he didn't, and Apple's recent stumbles may lead to a reassessment of his tenure.</p><p>Apple's sales have sputtered in the last three quarters, barely growing in the all-important holiday period last year and falling sharply in the last two periods. Its profit for the first nine months of its current fiscal year is down 13 percent from the same period a year earlier. And its days of torrid stock price growth now seem increasingly distant; Apple's share price has grown just 7 percent over the last two years.</p><p>Underlying that subpar performance have been problems on the product front. Under Cook, Apple has been riding the iPhone's immense success. That success boosted the company's overall performance, but it helped mask the weakness in Apple's other product lines.</p><p>Sales of the iPod fell off a cliff after Cook took over. Sales of the iPad, which initially was an even bigger success than the iPhone, started slowing down about a year into Cook's tenure and have never recovered. While Mac sales grew for years after Cook took charge, it too has started to stumble.</p><p>Now iPhone sales themselves are declining. In its second fiscal quarter this year, Apple's unit sales of iPhones fell on an annual basis for the first time ever. They fell again in the third quarter.</p><p>That decline has made it even more obvious that Apple under Cook hasn't come up with a gadget to replace the iPhone as its growth engine. The Apple Watch garnered a lot of hype when it launched last year, but sales have reportedly been falling sharply after an initial boom, and the gadget doesn't look like it's going to a hit on the scale of the iPhone or the iPad.</p><p>And other initiatives either haven't seen the light of day or have underwhelmed. Apple's car project is still in development and reportedly struggling to figure out its mission. Despite lots of hype, Apple's television efforts have yielded only a digital set-top box that has been at best a modest -- but not terribly lucrative -- success. As competitors like Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon rush to stake claims in areas like virtual and augmented reality and the smart home, Apple's apparent interest in those areas has been confined to patent filings and the ever-present rumor mill, rather than in releasing actual, competing products.</p><p>These setbacks could end up being short-term blips in Cook's tenure. Should iPhone sales rebound with the next model or should Apple's car project turn into a big hit, memories of the company's current doldrums could fade quickly.</p><p>But for now, they raise worrying questions about Apple's future under Cook. One could argue that Apple under Cook has been largely coasting on products and ideas generated by his predecessor. Sure, the company has introduced smaller and bigger iPads and large-screened iPhones, but those have been variations on existing themes, not all-new products. The one all-new product under Cook -- the Watch -- has been underwhelming and hasn't built on the company's success.</p><p>Jobs himself once noted that Cook is not a "product person," that Apple was going to have to rely on others in the organization to come up with new products and new ideas and bring them to market. The company's struggles of late in that regard may highlight that weakness and hint that in the switch from Jobs to Cook, Apple lost a crucial part of its winning formula -- the ability to create breakthrough, market-creating products.</p><p>Now, with tens of billions of dollars in profits rolling in every quarter and hundreds of billions of dollars in the bank, Apple remains in an enviable position; many companies would love to have its problems. And no one's suggesting the company's going to fade away any time soon.</p><p>But its recent struggles do underscore fears that the company's best days are behind it and could prompt worries about what the next five years will bring.</p><p>Contact Troy Wolverton at 408-840-4285 or <a href="mailto:twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com" >twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com</a>. Follow him at <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton" >www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton</a> or <a href="http://Twitter.com/troywolv" >Twitter.com/troywolv</a>.</p><a href="mailto:twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com">twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com</a><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton">www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton</a><a href="http://Twitter.com/troywolv">Twitter.com/troywolv</a>

Apple CEO Tim Cook makes closing remarks at the end of the Keynote presentation at the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference held at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, June 13, 2016.

Laura A&#46; Oda49185347http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0823/20160823__SJM-TIM-COOK-0823~1.JPG64546319564649185350http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0823/20160823__SJM-TIM-COOK-0823~1_100.JPG10072869749185351http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0823/20160823__SJM-TIM-COOK-0823~1_200.JPG2001441077449185352http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0823/20160823__SJM-TIM-COOK-0823~1_300.JPG3002151350949185353http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0823/20160823__SJM-TIM-COOK-0823~1_400.JPG4002871684649185354http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0823/20160823__SJM-TIM-COOK-0823~1_500.JPG500359209531/troy-wolvertonapple-at-crossroads-amid-cooks-fifth-anniversary-ceotrue568Tim Cook is no Steve Jobs: How that has changed Apple21http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton/ci_30286151/apple-at-crossroads-amid-cooks-fifth-anniversary-ceoBusinessTechnologyConsumer-electronicsheader30287966freeform<div class="ndn_embed" data-config-widget-id="2" style="width:640px;height:360px" data-config-type="VideoPlayer/Single" data-config-tracking-group="90757" data-config-playlist-id= 18873 data-config-video-id="31312217" data-config-site-section="mercurynews"> </div> <script type="text/javascript">var _ndnq = _ndnq || []; _ndnq.push(['embed']);</script>position230280866imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0823/20160823__SJM-TIM-COOK-0823~1.JPG
Apple CEO Tim Cook makes closing remarks at the end of the Keynote presentation at the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference held at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, June 13, 2016. Laura A. Oda30276870http://www.siliconbeat.com/?ptrueblogsiliconbeat http://www.siliconbeat.com/?p=111998 p_7bbcbaef-1810-49cf-8d68-83447c41ea52.xml<i></i>Mon, 22 Aug 2016 10:16:59 PDTMon, 22 Aug 2016 11:57:45 PDTSat, 22 Aug 2026 10:16:57 PDTMon, 22 Aug 2016 10:16:57 PDTMon, 22 Aug 2016 11:57:45 PDTMon, 22 Aug 2016 12:00:26 PDTMon, 22 Aug 2016 11:58:38 PDT3103false2016-08-22T10:16:59-07:0020160822T120026-07002016-08-22T10:18:25-07:0020160822T115838-07002016082208/22/20162026-08-22T10:16:57-07:0065YBarbra Streisand wants Siri to smarten upWe each have our own particular cross to bear. Some have it really bad &ndash; Syrian refugees come to mind.We each have our own particular cross to bear. Some have it really bad &ndash; Syrian refugees come to mind.<p>We each have our own particular cross to bear. Some have it really bad – Syrian refugees come to mind.</p><p>Others have it, well, just kinda bad.</p><p>Like Barbra Streisand. Her cross is Apple's virtual assistant Siri. To be more precise, her cross is the way Siri has been pronouncing the singer's name all these years.</p><p>And that way, according to Streisand, is wrong.</p><p>As she recently told NPR's Scott Simon, that voice inside her iPhone has been saying "Streizand," and not "Streisand."</p><p>Not one to be easily dismissed or put on hold, the maestra from Malibu picked up the phone and called the big cheese – Apple CEO Tim Cook – to have him take Siri to the woodshed. Or to at least get Siri to start pronouncing her name correctly.</p><p>"She pronounces my name wrong," Streisand said. "Streisand with a soft S, like sand on the beach. I've been saying this for my whole career."</p><p>Cook's response?</p><p>Streisand said Cook "delightfully agreed to have Siri change the pronunciation of my name, finally, with the next update on September 30th. So let's see if that happens because I will be thrilled."</p><p>While we join Barbra to await the newly updated Siri's response next month, might we suggest some of these folks also pick up the phone and get Cook on the line? I mean, it's never too early to be pro-active in the pronunciation department, right?</p><ul><li>Matthew McConaughey</li><li>Demi Moore</li><li>David Oyelowo</li><li>Chiwetel Ejiofor</li><li>Zach Galifianakis</li></ul><p>And yes, Lupia Nyong'o, we're looking at you!</p><p><em>Credit: Getty Images</em></p><p>The post <a href="http://www.siliconbeat.com/2016/08/22/barbra-streisand-wants-siri-smarten/" >Barbra Streisand wants Siri to smarten up</a> appeared first on <a href="http://www.siliconbeat.com" >SiliconBeat</a>.</p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.siliconbeat.com/2016/08/22/barbra-streisand-wants-siri-smarten/">Barbra Streisand wants Siri to smarten up</a><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.siliconbeat.com">SiliconBeat</a>

49173462http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0822/20160822__p_7bbcbaef-1810-49cf-8d68-83447c41ea52~l~soriginal~ph.jpg4802692598149173465http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0822/20160822__p_7bbcbaef-1810-49cf-8d68-83447c41ea52~l~soriginal~ph_100.jpg10056162649173466http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0822/20160822__p_7bbcbaef-1810-49cf-8d68-83447c41ea52~l~soriginal~ph_200.jpg200112430649173467http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0822/20160822__p_7bbcbaef-1810-49cf-8d68-83447c41ea52~l~soriginal~ph_300.jpg300168813049173468http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0822/20160822__p_7bbcbaef-1810-49cf-8d68-83447c41ea52~l~soriginal~ph_400.jpg400224125191/businessbarbra-streisand-wants-siri-smarten-uptrue568Barbra Streisand wants Siri to smarten up6http://www.siliconbeat.com/2016/08/22/barbra-streisand-wants-siri-smarten/Businessheader30276869imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0822/20160822__p_7bbcbaef-1810-49cf-8d68-83447c41ea52~l~soriginal~ph.jpg30263348SJM-MAGID-0821.xmltrue:biz:bizstaff:ptech:svcolumns:sv2020news:magid:whatsnew:bizbreaking:By Larry MagidFor the Mercury NewsThu, 18 Aug 2016 12:27:19 PDTThu, 18 Aug 2016 12:27:21 PDTWed, 19 Aug 2026 18:10:46 PDTThu, 18 Aug 2016 12:27:21 PDTFri, 19 Aug 2016 18:12:27 PDTFri, 19 Aug 2016 18:10:48 PDT3100falseBy Larry MagidFor the Mercury News2016-08-18T12:27:19-07:0020160819T181227-07002016-08-18T12:28:08-07:0020160819T181048-07002016081808/18/20162026-08-19T18:10:46-07:0098YHonor 8 smartphone comes with budget price, premium qualityMy favorite feature is the button on the back that serves as a fingerprint reader and programmable smart button.My favorite feature is the button on the back that serves as a fingerprint reader and programmable smart button.<p>The Honor 8 smartphone, introduced in the U.S. at a glitzy San Francisco news conference Tuesday night, is not likely to be an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy killer, but it's one of a growing number of phones that offer premium quality at a budget price -- under $400.</p><p>Honor is a subsidiary of Huawei, one of China's largest phone makers, which also makes Google's well-regarded Nexus 6P smartphone. Other companies, including HTC, Motorola, OnePlus and ZTE, also make some pretty impressive phones in the budget price range.</p><p>There was a time when price didn't much matter because most phone buyers were getting a subsidy from their carrier. A $650 iPhone, for example, cost consumers only $200 as long as they were willing to sign a two-year contract with their carrier.</p><p>Of course, the cost of the phone was built into your monthly bill, but you never saw it. Now -- with some exceptions -- the carrier expects you to pay full price for the phone.</p><p>If confronted with the choice of paying $650 to $750 or as little as $350 for comparable products, I'd certainly take a long look at any high-quality low-cost options.</p><p>I like the Honor 8, but based on the company's marketing pitch, it's not for me. I'm a baby boomer, and, at that news conference, Honor President George Zhao said the Honor 8 was designed for millennials, and, as if to emphasize the youth angle, they are sponsoring the FISE skateboard World Series whose website describes Honor as "a smartphone brand dedicated to the young." </p><p>Their celebrity spokesman is Brooklyn Beckham, the 17-year-old son of soccer great David Beckham and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, who is known for his skateboarding prowess. I'm not quite sure what's so youth-centric about this phone. I'm decades older than young Beckham and it works just fine for me. In fact, I prefer it to the far more expensive Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge that I've been using lately, and, frankly, I think that a lot of iPhone 6s users would find this phone quite attractive if they were willing to give up on an Apple-branded phone and Apple's iOS operating system.</p><p>Assuming they'll allow those of us over 35 to buy one, the Honor 8 starts at $399 for a model with 32 GB of storage, but you can register for a $50 rebate in the form of a gift card. Another $50 buys you a model with 64 GB of storage, but if that's not enough you can get up to another 128 GB with a microSD card, which you can't do with an iPhone.</p><p>It runs the current Marshmallow version of Android and comes with what the company bills as a dual lens "bionic" 12-megapixel rear camera. One of the lenses captures black and white and the other color, which the company says helps you "capture crisper, more detailed photos." So far my photos look good but not noticeably better than what you'd get with a recent Samsung or iPhone, though that's a pretty high standard. The 8 MP front-facing camera takes perfectly adequate selfies.</p><p>The phone has a 5.2-inch screen, which is smaller than an iPhone 6S Plus but larger than a 6S. It fits well in the hand and is big enough for my eyes and fingers.</p><p>My favorite feature of the phone is the button on the back that serves as a fingerprint reader and programmable smart button. Fingerprint recognition is instantaneous and extremely accurate. It has never failed to unlock when I touch it.</p><p>You can program that same button to launch up to three apps -- depending on whether you press it once or twice or hold it down for a long press.</p><p>Another thing I noticed about the phone is that it easily and accurately hears and recognizes my voice when I use "OK Google" to get hands-free navigation when I'm driving or do web searches when I don't feel like typing long phrases on the phone's small virtual keyboard. I'm a big fan of using voice to control a phone as you can do with Siri on an iPhone or "OK Google" on most Androids, but -- unlike many phones I've tested -- this one seems to pick up my voice easily, even when I speak softly in a noisy area.</p><p>I'm not saying that the Honor 8 is necessarily better than the high-end phones from Apple and Samsung, but at $350 after rebate, it's hundreds of dollars less expensive.</p><p>And, of course, it's one of only several high-end phones that are more affordable than those from the two leading smartphone makers.</p><p>I do have a word of warning for young Brooklyn Beckham. The Honor 8 has beautiful reflective glass on the front and rear, which looks great but is subject to breaking if dropped. For that, and for personal safety, I don't recommend using it while skateboarding.</p><p>Contact Larry Magid at <a href="mailto:larry@larrymagid.com" >larry@larrymagid.com</a>. Listen for his technology chats on KCBS (AM 740 and FM 106.9) weekdays at 3:50 p.m.</p><a href="mailto:larry@larrymagid.com">larry@larrymagid.com</a>/larry-magidhonor-8-smartphone-comes-budget-price-premium-qualitytrue568Honor 8 smartphone comes with budget price, premium quality9http://www.mercurynews.com/larry-magid/ci_30263348/honor-8-smartphone-comes-budget-price-premium-qualityBusinessTechnology30260647SJM-TECHFILES-0821.xmltrue:biz:bizstaff:apple:driv:testdrive:google:greencars:ptech:svcolumns:sv2020news:wolverton:whatsnew:bizbreaking: :whatsnew:twolverton@mercurynews.comBy Troy Wolverton, twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.comWed, 17 Aug 2016 20:51:31 PDTWed, 17 Aug 2016 20:51:33 PDTMon, 17 Aug 2026 20:51:27 PDTWed, 17 Aug 2016 20:51:33 PDTThu, 18 Aug 2016 18:06:18 PDTThu, 18 Aug 2016 18:05:49 PDT3098falseBy Troy Wolverton&#44; twolverton&#64;bayareanewsgroup&#46;com2016-08-17T20:51:31-07:0020160818T180618-07002016-08-17T20:52:08-07:0020160818T180549-07002016081708/17/20162026-08-17T20:51:27-07:002423YPlug-in hybrids have come a long way in a few short yearsChevrolet's Volt and Ford's Fusion Energi lead a second generation of plug-in hybrid vehicles that are starting to trickle into showrooms and offer consumers better efficiency, more affordable prices and more choice than before.Chevrolet's Volt and Ford's Fusion Energi lead a second generation of plug-in hybrid vehicles that are starting to trickle into showrooms and offer consumers better efficiency, more affordable prices and more choice than before.<p>Even in these days of cheap gasoline, there's still something liberating about not filling up.</p><p>I got a taste of that joy recently when I test drove a pair of brand-new cars: The 2017 Ford Fusion Energi and the 2017 Chevrolet Volt. I drove each for more than a week, running errands, going to work, and driving to Fremont to catch BART. I not only didn't have to visit a gas station, I barely used any gas at all in either one.</p><p>I loved the Volt, but enjoyed driving both. They were fun cars for more reasons than just saving gas.</p><p>Both the Volt and Fusion Energi are plug-in hybrids, a class of car that promises some of the same environmental bona fides as full-electric cars without their usually limited overall range. The two vehicles are part of a new wave of plug-ins that will be rolling into showrooms over the next year.</p><p>Plug-in hybrid vehicles are kind of a cross between a more traditional hybrid car like Toyota's Prius and an electric vehicle like Nissan's Leaf. They include both an electric motor and a gasoline engine, but they have larger battery packs than regular hybrids, which allows them to operate at times like full electric vehicles. As they would with other electric vehicles, users have to recharge the batteries by plugging them into a wall outlet or recharging station.</p><p>The electric-only range for a plug-in hybrid is typically far less than that of an all-electric car. But their gasoline engines usually give them a total range that significantly exceeds electric vehicles and, in some cases, can better a typical gasoline-powered vehicle.</p><p>Regulators and car companies are promoting plug-ins as a way to save on gas and cut carbon emissions. Federal and state governments have given drivers extra inducements to buy them. They qualify for California's carpool lane stickers, for example, and purchasers are eligible for state and federal tax credits of up to $9,000 combined.</p><p>Plug-in vehicles aren't exactly new. The first Volt debuted in late 2010, and Toyota and Ford both released their first production plug-in hybrids in 2012.</p><p>But like other first-generation products, those first plug-ins weren't polished. They drew criticism for being pricey, for having very limited electric-only ranges, and for having gas engines that weren't super efficient. And consumers only had a handful from which to choose.</p><p>The next generation of plug-in hybrids will address many of these concerns. Prices have come down. Electric-only ranges have gone up on some vehicles, as has their gasoline engines' efficiency. And consumers will soon have a whole lot of choices, with models coming or already in showrooms from companies including Audi, BMW, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volvo.</p><p>Two of the first of that new generation, the Volt and the Fusion Energi, represent two distinct takes on plug-in technology and how such vehicles should look and feel.</p><p>While the Fusion Energi has a standard plug-in hybrid system in which both its electric motor and gasoline engine can power the wheels, the Volt's system is unusual. The car is always powered by its electric motor and will generally run down its batteries completely before switching over to its gasoline engine. And the gas engine doesn't power the wheels; instead it generates electricity for the Volt's electric motor.</p><p>The Volt is designed to maximize its electric range. Its large battery pack, which stores more than twice as much electricity as that in the Fusion Energi, is located in the center of the car, where the transmission would be in a rear-wheel drive vehicle. That placement means that you can't seat more than four full-sized adults in the car, because the batteries take up much of what would be the middle seat in the back. So, while it's a great commuting car, it would be fairly cramped for family trips.</p><p>Chevy debuted this new generation of Volt in a limited way last year, then expanded its distribution with this year's model. Compared with previous versions, the newer Volts are lighter and have a smaller gas engine. The result is much improved efficiency and range. The new Volt will go 53 miles on battery power alone, up from 38 miles previously, according to EPA estimates. And it gets 42 miles to the gallon when it's running on gas, up from around 37 in the prior models. Because of its improved efficiency, its total range is now 420 miles, compared to 380 in the previous generation.</p><p>That extended electric range is amazing. Despite driving my test vehicle all over the South Bay for more than a week and forgetting at times to recharge it at night, I still only ended up using about a quarter of a gallon of gas while I had it. And while it's known for its efficiency, the Volt was zippy and fun to drive.</p><p>Compared to the Volt, the Fusion Energi was larger and felt more like a standard family sedan. It could comfortably fit five people inside, albeit with one big trade off -- trunk space. The car's battery pack is placed right behind its rear site and takes up a large portion of what would be the trunk. Indeed, the Fusion Energi has less trunk space than the smaller Volt and about half that of the all-gas powered Fusion.</p><p>Ford has optimized the car for total range. With its battery all charged and its 14 gallon gas tank full, it will go about 610 miles. That's up about 60 miles from last year's model and is great if you're planning on taking it on long trips.</p><p>But the car comes up short when it comes to electric range. The EPA estimates it will go about 22 miles on battery power. That's up two miles from the prior Fusion Energi, but still a far cry from the Volt. I didn't drive the Fusion Energi all that much, but I found it wasn't difficult in everyday driving to use up all the juice in its batteries.</p><p>Both cars have attractions beyond their fuel efficiency. Both offer broad selections of semiautonomous features as options, including adaptive cruise control and automated lane keeping. Both have new infotainment systems that support Apple's CarPlay and Android Auto. And both have built-in cellular connections that allow users to remotely start them and unlock their doors.</p><p>Such features help make both cars a pleasure to use. Both cars show how plug-in vehicles have now matured to the point that you don't have to sacrifice much to get a much greener car.</p><p>Contact Troy Wolverton at 408-840-4285 or <a href="mailto:twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com" >twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com</a>. Follow him at <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton" >www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton</a> or <a href="http://Twitter.com/troywolv" >Twitter.com/troywolv</a>.</p><p>Chevrolet Volt<br></p><p>What: Extended range electric (plug-in hybrid) sedan<br>Range: 53 miles on battery pack; 420 miles total<br>Mileage: 106 miles per gallon equivalent (electricity alone); 42 miles per gallon (gas alone)<br>Technology features and options: Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support; automatic braking; adaptive cruise control; assisted parking; automated lane-keeping; built-in 4G LTE radio that provides Wi-Fi hotspot capability with optional subscription; smartphone app allows remote start, charge scheduling and unlocking.<br>Price: Base model, $34,095. As tested: $39,450. Doesn't include delivery charges, taxes, license and other fees.<br></p><p>Chevrolet, Environmental Protection Agency<br><br></p><p>Ford Fusion Energi<br></p><p>What: Plug-in hybrid sedan<br>Range: 21 miles on battery pack; 610 miles total<br>Mileage: 97 miles per gallon (combined electric and gas); 42 miles per gallon (gas alone)<br>Technology features and options: Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support; Sync 3 infotainment system; automatic braking; advanced adaptive cruise control; assisted parking; automated lane-keeping; smartphone app allows remote start, charge scheduling and unlocking<br>Price: Base model, $31,120. As tested: $39,120. Doesn't include delivery charges, taxes, license and other fees.<br></p><p>Ford, Environmental Protection Agency</p><a href="mailto:twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com">twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com</a><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton">www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton</a><a href="http://Twitter.com/troywolv">Twitter.com/troywolv</a>

Troy Wolverton test drives a 2017 Chevy Volt, the second generation of GM's mainstream electric vehicle, for his Tech Files column, Tuesday afternoon, July 26, 2016, in San Jose, Calif.

Troy Wolverton, Mercury News technology columnist, uses the parking assist to back into a parking spot in a 2017 Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid Platinum model in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, July 13, 2016. Wolverton controlled the brake and accelerator but not the steering wheel.

Nhat V&#46; Meyer&#47;Bay Area News Group49118816http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817__sjm-techfiles-0816-3~1.JPG64542613572249118819http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817__sjm-techfiles-0816-3~1_100.JPG100661056549118820http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817__sjm-techfiles-0816-3~1_200.JPG2001321542449118821http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817__sjm-techfiles-0816-3~1_300.JPG3001982251449118822http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817__sjm-techfiles-0816-3~1_400.JPG4002643090749118823http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817__sjm-techfiles-0816-3~1_500.JPG500330415412/troy-wolvertonplug-hybrids-have-come-long-way-few-shorttrue568Plug-in hybrids have come a long way in a few short years24http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton/ci_30260647/plug-hybrids-have-come-long-way-few-shortBusinessTechnologyConsumer-electronicsheader30261410freeform<div class="ndn_embed" data-config-widget-id="2" style="width:654px;height:368px" data-config-type="VideoPlayer/Single" data-config-tracking-group="90757" data-config-playlist-id="18882" data-config-video-id="31287575" data-config-site-section="mercury2300_nws_biz_sec"> </div> <script type="text/javascript">var _ndnq = _ndnq || []; _ndnq.push(['embed']);</script>position230261588imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817__sjm-techfiles-0816-4~1.JPG
Troy Wolverton test drives a 2017 Chevy Volt, the second generation of GM's mainstream electric vehicle, for his Tech Files column, Tuesday afternoon, July 26, 2016, in San Jose, Calif. Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Groupposition430261587imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817__sjm-techfiles-0816-3~1.JPG
Troy Wolverton, Mercury News technology columnist, uses the parking assist to back into a parking spot in a 2017 Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid Platinum model in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, July 13, 2016. Wolverton controlled the brake and accelerator but not the steering wheel. Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Groupfooter30157236freeform<div class="ndn_embed" data-config-widget-id="2" style="width:654px;height:368px" data-config-type="VideoPlayer/Single" data-config-tracking-group="90757" data-config-playlist-id="18873" data-config-video-id="31179388" data-config-site-section="eastbaytimes_hom_non_fro"> </div> <script type="text/javascript">var _ndnq = _ndnq || []; _ndnq.push(['embed']);</script>30258541SJM-HERHOLD-0818.xmltrue:herhold:whatsnew:sherhold@mercurynews.comBy Scott Herhold, sherhold@bayareanewsgroup.comWed, 17 Aug 2016 12:08:31 PDTWed, 17 Aug 2016 12:08:32 PDTMon, 17 Aug 2026 17:27:39 PDTWed, 17 Aug 2016 12:08:32 PDTThu, 18 Aug 2016 10:14:09 PDTThu, 18 Aug 2016 10:13:17 PDT3098falseBy Scott Herhold&#44; sherhold&#64;bayareanewsgroup&#46;com2016-08-17T12:08:31-07:0020160818T101409-07002016-08-17T12:08:34-07:0020160818T101317-07002016081708/17/20162026-08-17T17:27:39-07:002423YHerhold: Apple got it right in changing emoji to water gunApple sends right message removing revolver emoji, Herhold saysApple sends right message removing revolver emoji, Herhold says<p>Let's be clear: Exchanging the revolver emoji for a squirt gun in Apple's new operating system will not solve the problem of gun violence in America. It's a symbolic gesture.</p><p>But symbolic gestures have power -- the rainbow flags of the LGBT community, the pink ribbons of cancer survivors, the peace symbols during the Vietnam War.</p><p>This is simply a way for Apple to say that it bemoans the terrible rash of shootings that have afflicted America so deeply over the past few years.</p><p>Apple did not invent the revolver emoji -- it refined it -- but the company understands that a lethal gun is not a joking matter, not even as a symbol sent in a text message.</p><p>A lime-green squirt gun makes that clear -- and lets the emjoi user convey his or her feelings with a bit of humor. That's not a big price to pay in freedom of speech.</p><p>I should tell you I come to the emoji debate with little invested. I've never sent an emoji in my life. I don't expect to. For a writer, it feels like a surrender, a way of evading words.</p><p>But like everyone else with a pulse in America, I've followed the tragedies in Newtown, Colorado, Charleston and Dallas with a profound sense of dread.</p><p>If a company can design a symbol that mocks our predilection for finding answers in guns, we should welcome it. It's a small way of renouncing the bloodshed.</p><p>Legislation</p><p>My colleague, Michelle Quinn, argues that the larger issue is gun control. And that's a legitimate point. By itself, Apple's change of emojis won't prompt legislators to change gun laws.</p><p>But legislation is not all that is at stake here. Eroding the mindset that Americans have toward guns -- the fallacy that they offer more protection than danger -- matters as much as any law.</p><p>(To use an analogy from the gay rights movement, the most effective thing that gays and lesbians did was not to pass laws, though that was important: It was coming out.)</p><p>Under Tim Cook, Apple has made itself known as a socially conscious company, one that has added emojis that reflect a breadth of race and sexual identity.</p><p>Its move on the revolver -- coming out against gun violence even in cartoon form -- should be no surprise. According to Buzzfeed, Apple and Microsoft objected to an emoji of a rifle on their platforms last May. Apple was right then. It's right now.</p><p>Freedom of speech</p><p>I understand the freedom of speech argument. Emojis have become their own virtual language. It's almost silly to ban a picture of a gun when you let people spell out "G-U-N."</p><p>Almost silly, but not quite. We don't have absolute freedom of speech of this country. We don't let people cry "fire" in a crowded theater.</p><p>If you're the DJ at Wrigley Field, you lose your job after you play the song "Smack My Bitch Up" for reliever Aroldis Chapman, once suspended for 30 days after being accused of choking his girlfriend and firing eight bullets in his garage in Miami.</p><p>As a grandfather of two boys, I'm well aware that little kids pretend to shoot one another even in socially progressive households (My daughter has tried and failed to stop this.)</p><p>But people who send emojis, even kids, understand the power of images. And a revolver is not in the realm of fantasy.</p><p>Close to 13,000 Americans died in gun homicides or unintentional shootings in 2015. We can show our awareness of that awful toll by changing the symbol of our daily communication. A squirt gun is just fine.</p><p>Contact Scott Herhold at 408-275-0917 or <a href="mailto:sherhold@bayareanewsgroup.com" >sherhold@bayareanewsgroup.com</a>. Follow him at <a href="http://Twitter.com/scottherhold" >Twitter.com/scottherhold</a>.</p><a href="mailto:sherhold@bayareanewsgroup.com">sherhold@bayareanewsgroup.com</a><a href="http://Twitter.com/scottherhold">Twitter.com/scottherhold</a>Quinn: Apple should bring back revolver gun emojihttp://www.mercurynews.com/michelle-quinn/ci_30258540/apple-got-it-wrong-changing-gun-emoji30258540

49109259http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817_011636_bothemoji.jpg5683699653449109254http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817_011636_bothemoji_100.jpg100652664749109257http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817_011636_bothemoji_200.jpg2001302873049109252http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817_011636_bothemoji_300.jpg3001953114149109258http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817_011636_bothemoji_400.jpg4002603380849109255http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817_011636_bothemoji_500.jpg500325393011/scott-herholdapple-got-it-right-changing-gun-emojitrue568Herhold: Apple got it right in changing emoji to water gun24http://www.mercurynews.com/scott-herhold/ci_30258541/apple-got-it-right-changing-gun-emojiNewsheader30256934freeform<div class="ndn_embed" data-config-widget-id="2" style="width:600px;height:338px" data-config-type="VideoPlayer/Single" data-config-tracking-group="90757" data-config-playlist-id="18882" data-config-video-id="31281477" data-config-site-section="mercurynews"> </div> <script type="text/javascript">var _ndnq = _ndnq || []; _ndnq.push(['embed']);</script>position130256035imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817_011636_bothemoji.jpg30254829SJM-TECHFILES-0817.xmltrue:biz:bizstaff:apple:Facebook:Google:microsoft:ptech:svcolumns:svwireless:sv2020news:wolverton:whatsnew:bizbreaking: :whatsnew:twolverton@mercurynews.comBy Troy Wolverton, twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.comTue, 16 Aug 2016 16:48:35 PDTTue, 16 Aug 2016 16:48:38 PDTSun, 16 Aug 2026 17:29:25 PDTTue, 16 Aug 2016 16:48:38 PDTWed, 17 Aug 2016 07:52:23 PDTWed, 17 Aug 2016 07:50:55 PDT3097falseBy Troy Wolverton&#44; twolverton&#64;bayareanewsgroup&#46;com2016-08-16T16:48:35-07:0020160817T075223-07002016-08-16T16:50:22-07:0020160817T075055-07002016081608/16/20162026-08-16T17:29:25-07:001817YGoogle Duo video chat app: How it compares to FaceTimeGoogle debuted its Duo video calling app Tuesday with features that resemble Apple's FaceTime.Google debuted its Duo video calling app Tuesday with features that resemble Apple's FaceTime.<p>Six years after Apple launched its video calling service, Google finally has an answer for FaceTime.</p><p>On Tuesday, the search giant released Duo, its new video calling app, and I gave it a test run. Google designed Duo to be like FaceTime -- easy to use. As with Apple's app, users can simply tap on a friend's name from their address book and connect.</p><p>"Video calling is the next best thing to being with someone in person, but too often it can be a frustrating or complicated experience," Justin Uberti, a principal software engineer, wrote on Google's company blog site. "Duo takes the complexity out of video calling, so that you can be together in the moment wherever you are."</p><p>Duo has one big advantage over FaceTime -- it allows Android users to place video calls to iPhone owners and vice versa. FaceTime only works on Apple devices.</p><p>Google also gave Duo a cool feature that FaceTime lacks. Dubbed Knock Knock, it offers a kind of preview of the video call. Knock Knock allows the recipient of a call to see a live view of the person placing the call to get a sense not only of who is calling but why.</p><p>And Duo has a simpler initial view than FaceTime. Where FaceTime's home screen offers a list of contacts users have recently called, Duo show users a view of themselves and a big "video call" button. If users tap on that button, they'll see a list of friends who they can call on the app.</p><p>If they've placed calls recently, they'll also see thumbnail pictures of the friends they've contacted on the home screen. Those pictures act as buttons that allow them to make a quick follow-up video call.</p><p>But in general, the app works much like FaceTime. Like Apple's app, it's only used for calling; users can't send text messages through it. As with FaceTime interactions, Duo encrypts calls, so users don't have to worry about someone spying on their conversations. And as with FaceTime, Duo automatically identifies people in users' address books who can be reached through the app.</p><p>On Tuesday, I did a quick test of Duo, which Google announced in May at its annual developer conference. It worked mostly as advertised. My wife was able to easily place a call from her iPhone to mine using the app. I was able to return her call quickly by simply tapping on a thumbnail picture button on the Duo home screen.</p><p>The video was generally smooth, although there was a hiccup in it. The app is supposed to be able to keep a video call going even if your phone switches from Wi-Fi to a cellular network. But while talking with my daughter, the video of me cut out when I turned off my Wi-Fi radio. I was able to see her, but she could only hear me. My video resumed when I turned my Wi-Fi radio back on.</p><p>Google is no stranger to video calling. Users of Google Talk could place video calls on their PCs eight years ago. Google Hangouts, which the company launched three years ago, allows users to connect on PCs and mobile devices and can be used for video conferences involving multiple people.</p><p>And users of Google's Android operating system have numerous choices for video calling apps, including Skype, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat. Cell providers Verizon and T-Mobile also offer video calling features for Android phones.</p><p>But until now, Android users haven't had something as easy and ubiquitous to use for video chats as FaceTime. While Hangouts comes preinstalled on most devices, it's a much more complicated app that can be difficult to use.</p><p>With Skype, Facebook and other apps, users can typically only place video calls to people who are using the same app. And in some cases users have to know a person's often idiosyncratic logon name to connect.</p><p>And the cellphone video services generally allow users to place video calls only to other users who have certain phones that are connected to the same cellular network.</p><p>While Duo may be aimed at FaceTime, I'm not convinced it's going to convince iPhone users to switch to Android. But if it gets enough of a following, it could make it easier for iPhone users to at least consider making the move.</p><p>Still, FaceTime, which debuted with Apple's iPhone 4 back in 2010, retains some advantages over Duo. Apple offers it for Mac computers, while Duo isn't available for the Mac or Windows PCs. FaceTime allows users to place audio-only calls, while Duo is focused on video ones. And FaceTime users can connect to people even if they don't know their phone number; FaceTime also recognizes their email address.</p><p>Duo comes as chat apps in general are becoming a major battleground among tech firms. In addition to allowing users to make video calls and send text messages, a new generation of messaging apps is allowing users to do everything from make hotel reservations to order pizza. Such apps are also building in "bots," automated services that can answer questions or perform other features.</p><p>WeChat, which offers users a collection of such features, has become popular in its native China. American technology companies are trying to get up to speed. Google has a new advanced text messaging app called Allo in the works that it announced at the same time as Duo. Earlier this year, Microsoft, Facebook and Apple each announced upgrades that will bring bots and other advanced features to their messaging apps.</p><p>Chat bots and other advanced messaging features pose a potential threat to Android and Apple's iOS that's similar to what Microsoft's Windows faced from web browsers. Because users can potentially accomplish most of their everyday tasks within one particular app, it wouldn't matter as much which phone they were using, what operating system it was running or which other apps are available for it.</p><p>Contact Troy Wolverton at 408-840-4285 or <a href="mailto:twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com" >twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com</a>. Follow him at <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton" >www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton</a> or <a href="http://Twitter.com/troywolv" >Twitter.com/troywolv</a>.</p><a href="mailto:twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com">twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com</a><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton">www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton</a><a href="http://Twitter.com/troywolv">Twitter.com/troywolv</a>/troy-wolvertongoogle-duo-video-chat-app-compare-facetimetrue568Google Duo video chat app: How it compares to FaceTime18http://www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton/ci_30254829/google-duo-video-chat-app-compare-facetimeBusinessTechnologyConsumer-electronicsheader30252407freeform<div class="ndn_embed" data-config-widget-id="2" style="width:600px;height:338px" data-config-type="VideoPlayer/Single" data-config-tracking-group="90757" data-config-playlist-id="13434" data-config-video-id="31275564" data-config-site-section="eastbaytimes_hom_non_fro"> </div> <script type="text/javascript">var _ndnq = _ndnq || []; _ndnq.push(['embed']);</script> 30257570http://www.siliconbeat.com/?ptrueblogsiliconbeat http://www.siliconbeat.com/?p=111771 p_8b95b08f-bea6-4dd1-9588-04e725ab6cc4.xml<i></i>Wed, 17 Aug 2016 06:32:59 PDTWed, 17 Aug 2016 06:32:56 PDTMon, 17 Aug 2026 06:32:56 PDTWed, 17 Aug 2016 06:32:56 PDTWed, 17 Aug 2016 06:32:56 PDTWed, 17 Aug 2016 06:48:27 PDTWed, 17 Aug 2016 06:48:01 PDT3098false2016-08-17T06:32:59-07:0020160817T064827-07002016-08-17T06:34:29-07:0020160817T064801-07002016081708/17/20162026-08-17T06:32:56-07:0065YCisco Systems reportedly to cut 14,000 jobsCisco Systems is going to be much leaner by the end of the summer as the networking-equipment giant is to layoff 14,000 employees, or close to 20 percent of its workforce.Cisco Systems is going to be much leaner by the end of the summer as the networking-equipment giant is to layoff 14,000 employees, or close to 20 percent of its workforce.<p>Cisco Systems is going to be much leaner by the end of the summer as the networking-equipment giant is to layoff 14,000 employees, or close to 20 percent of its workforce.</p><p>The technology news publication <a href="http://www.crn.com/news/networking/300081750/sources-massive-layoffs-coming-at-cisco.htm?itc=hp_todays_news" >CRN first reported the job cuts late Tuesday</a> citing "sources close to the company" as saying Cisco would implement the layoffs over the next few weeks. It would be be the biggest one-time job cut in Cisco's history.</p><p>Cisco had around 73,000 employees at the end of April, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.</p><p>The layoffs also stand to be the biggest imprint of Chuck Robbins tenure as Cisco's chief executive. Robbins, who took over from longtime Cisco CEO John Chambers in July 2015, has been working to move Cisco more into software, services and cloud-based networking and security technologies as the company's bellwether hardware business has shown signs of slowing down in recent years.</p><p>The report of Cisco's big job cuts will also lend some excitement to the company's fiscal fourth-quarter results, due after the stock market closes Wednesday. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters have forecast Cisco to earn 60 cents a share, excluding one-time items, on revenue of $12.6 billion for the period that ended in July. During the same quarter a year ago, Cisco earned 59 cents a share on $12.8 billion in sales.</p><p>Announcing the layoffs at the same time of its fiscal fourth-quarter results wouldn't be unprecedented for Cisco, as the company implemented layoffs at the end of its 2014 and 2013 fiscal years, and at the end of the other past fiscal years.</p><p>Cisco would also be the latest Bay Area tech titan to put big job cuts into effect in the last year, following HP Inc., which in September 2015 said it would cut 33,000 jobs over a three-year-period, and <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_29786624/intel-slashing-12-000-jobs-from-global-workforce" >Intel's announcement in April that it would shed 12,000 jobs this year</a>.</p><p>Cisco has re-gained some faith from investors of late, as the company's shares have risen more than 14 percent this year to $31.12.</p><p><em>Photo: A sign with Cisco's logo outside the company's headquarters in Santa Clara. (AP/Paul Sakuma, File)</em></p><p>The post <a href="http://www.siliconbeat.com/2016/08/17/cisco-systems-reportedly-cut-14000-jobs/" >Cisco Systems reportedly to cut 14,000 jobs</a> appeared first on <a href="http://www.siliconbeat.com" >SiliconBeat</a>.</p><a href="http://www.crn.com/news/networking/300081750/sources-massive-layoffs-coming-at-cisco.htm?itc=hp_todays_news">CRN first reported the job cuts late Tuesday</a><a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_29786624/intel-slashing-12-000-jobs-from-global-workforce">Intel's announcement in April that it would shed 12,000 jobs this year</a><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.siliconbeat.com/2016/08/17/cisco-systems-reportedly-cut-14000-jobs/">Cisco Systems reportedly to cut 14,000 jobs</a><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.siliconbeat.com">SiliconBeat</a>

FILE - This Wednesday, May 9. 2012, file photo, shows an exterior view of Cisco headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif. Cisco Systems Inc., reports quarterly eanrings on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. Cisco says Monday, March 24, 2014, it plans to spend more than $1 billion over the next two years to build up its cloud computing network. Cisco plans to use the money to expand its data centers for the new service to be called Cisco Cloud Services. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

Paul Sakuma49105031http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817__p_8b95b08f-bea6-4dd1-9588-04e725ab6cc4~l~soriginal~ph.jpg4802761912049105034http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817__p_8b95b08f-bea6-4dd1-9588-04e725ab6cc4~l~soriginal~ph_100.jpg10058236649105035http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817__p_8b95b08f-bea6-4dd1-9588-04e725ab6cc4~l~soriginal~ph_200.jpg200115479449105036http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817__p_8b95b08f-bea6-4dd1-9588-04e725ab6cc4~l~soriginal~ph_300.jpg300173752949105037http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817__p_8b95b08f-bea6-4dd1-9588-04e725ab6cc4~l~soriginal~ph_400.jpg400230106061/businesscisco-systems-reportedly-cut-14-000-jobstrue568Cisco Systems reportedly to cut 14,000 jobs6http://www.siliconbeat.com/2016/08/17/cisco-systems-reportedly-cut-14000-jobs/Businessheader30257573imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2016/0817/20160817__p_8b95b08f-bea6-4dd1-9588-04e725ab6cc4~l~soriginal~ph.jpgFILE - This Wednesday, May 9. 2012, file photo, shows an exterior view of Cisco headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif. Cisco Systems Inc., reports quarterly eanrings on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. Cisco says Monday, March 24, 2014, it plans to spend more than $1 billion over the next two years to build up its cloud computing network. Cisco plans to use the money to expand its data centers for the new service to be called Cisco Cloud Services. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)Paul Sakuma